Kota Kinabalu: Two Sabah Suluk organisations have pledged full support to the call by Pertubuhan Kebajikan Dakwah Islamiah Negeri Sabah (Perkida Sabah) – a Muslim NGO led by Datu Dr Muhd Akjan Datu Ali Muhd who once claimed to be the Sulu Sultan – for Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) to spread its wings to Sabah. Pertubuhan Permuafakatan & Perpaduan Masyarakat Peranakan Suluk Bajau Sabah (PPSBS) and Dewan Perniagaan Suluk Sabah (DPSS) said they believe PPBM is the best party to represent them as "pribumi" (natives).

"What attracts us to PPBM is the word 'pribumi'. We want to be in a party that is more towards (fighting for) the interest of the 'pribumi' in Sabah," Sec-Gen of the two organisations, Datu Mohd Sayadi Bakal, told reporters, Monday. He claimed that the number of voters who are of Suluk Bajau origin in Sabah has now reached 1.5 million.

Hence, he felt there is no reason PPBM cannot set foot in the state because other peninsula-based political parties like Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) have been here for a long time now.

He said more recently, another peninsula-based party, Amanah, had also come to Sabah.

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"We want to put democracy on the right track," said Sayadi, insisting that Sabahans have the right to choose any party they wish to join.

He added that PPBM's entry into the state can help the Warisan-led Sabah Government in terms of monitoring.

"There will be a check and balance in various aspects."

"PPBM's entry will also offer the people of Sabah an alternative choice that they think can fight for their interest, especially the natives," he said.

When asked why not they join the existing political parties in the state instead of PPBM, Sayadi reiterated they want to exercise democracy by freely joining a party of their choice and the party is PPBM.

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He disclosed that 19,000 people in Sabah have joined the party to date through a movement led by Perkida and is targeting to hit 150,000 in the next few months.

"The numbers show that there's high demand and hope among the people in Sabah for PPBM to set foot in the state," he said, adding that both organisations have had meetings with the PPBM leadership regarding their members joining the party.

Perkida Sabah recently said PPBM leadership should heed the calls of the Muslim community in Sabah and expand its wings to the state.

Its chairman Datu Dr Muhammad Akjan Datu Ali Muhammad claimed there was a high demand from the people in Sabah for PPBM and was confident that many Muslims in the State would join as they believed the party suits best their aspirations, interest, welfare and needs and would address their problems and plight.

He was quoted as saying that some of the 19,000 new members who have registered as life members of PPBM were professionals, businessmen and civil servants. Parti Warisan Sabah President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal had expressed hope that PPBM would keep its promise to stay out of the state and let his party run Sabah.

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He reportedly said the party had made the matter clear even before the 14th general election. - Leonard Alaza